Crohn’s disease, in case you aren’t familiar, is a type of “Inflammatory bowel disease,” in which an autoimmune process causes severe inflammation throughout the digestive tract, leading to abdominal pain, bloody stools, malabsorption of nutrients, and other serious and sometimes life-threatening complications. Like many autoimmune diseases, it has become more common over the past few decades, which strongly suggests (since our genetics have not, as a species, changed during that same time period) that environmental triggers such as pollutants, changes to our gut microbiome, stress, and poor diet likely play a role in its development.
This new study, conducted by a group of doctors in Canada, bolsters this idea. After all, if changes in the way we live can cause Crohn’s disease, then it follows that changes in the way we live should also help to alleviate it.
In the study, doctors randomized 35 overweight patients with Crohn’s disease to either:
Eat all of their food within an 8 hour window each day and fast the other 16 hours of the day (for example: eat from 11am to 7pm, and during the period 7pm to 11am the next morning consume only water and other non-caloric beverages such as black coffee or tea)
Do nothing different
Both groups ate the same number of calories, but at the end of 12 weeks, the group following the 8 hour eating window had lost on average about 5 pounds, had improvements in a variety of inflammatory markers, and had a 40% reduction in their Crohn’s disease symptoms.
The study is exciting, because it suggests at least two important points:
Crohn’s disease can be improved by lifestyle measures. This is terrific news, since Crohn’s is increasingly common, can be very debilitating, and is often treated with powerful drugs that can have serious side effects. Having more “holistic” tools to treat, at least partially, such a disease is a wonderful development. Moreover, while this study doesn’t examine the question, it leaves open the possibility that Crohn’s can be prevented and perhaps in some cases put into remission by lifestyle changes. It is also plausible – though again, the study doesn’t address the question – that other inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis or asthma might also be helped by this approach to eating.
On the flip side, all studies have limitations, and this one is no exception. To whit:
This was a small and short study (only 35 participants, over only 12 weeks), leaving open that the results could have been a fluke. It is not possible to draw definitive conclusions until the experiment is repeated with more people over a longer period of time.
Note that the participants in this study were BOTH overweight AND had Crohn’s disease, and that the patients following the time-restricted eating plan lost a few pounds. So possibly the beneficial effects of the eating plan were mainly due to weight loss. If that’s the case, then any cause of weight loss (for example, a low-calorie diet, or a low-carb diet) might be just as effective. Furthermore, time-restricted eating might not help Crohn’s patients who aren’t also overweight.
Nonetheless, this was a well done randomized-controlled trial, and it is hard to discount the results.
Importantly, lifestyle modifications don’t cost money and have a very low risk of side effects. The worst that is likely to happen if a person tries time-restricted eating for a month or two is that nothing will get better; the odds that things will get worse are slim to none. If you are faced with a serious illness such as Crohn’s disease and might be made even a little better by time-restricted eating, there is little down side to giving it a try. Of course, you should consult your own doctor first – I am speaking only in generalities, and not offering specific medical advice.
